Abstract
A 96% β-crystalline poly(vinylidene fluoride) nanofibers (PVDF NFs) were prepared by collecting electrospun NFs on a roller operated at 5000 rpm, followed by annealing at 150 °C. Dodecylamine functionalized non-polar silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) were synthesized. The Ag NPs were brush coated on a PVDF NFs support and used as an electrode to demonstrate a piezoelectric sensor (PS). PVDF NFs was characterized with Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). Changes in the absorbance of FTIR peak, 1275 cm−1, revealed that the rise in roller speed from 0 to 5000 rpm, increased the β-phase composition from 64 to 92% (rest was γ-phase), decreased the lowest observed NFs diameter from 399 to 260 nm, and increased the orientation of NFs along the direction of rotation. The peaks relevant to β-phase found in XRD patterns (20.8°) and DSC thermograms (166 °C) were confirmed these findings. Annealing of NFs prepared at 5000 rpm (R5000) at 150 °C, increased the degree of crystallinity from 54.7 to 58.3% and the % of β-phase from 92 to 96%, highest among all samples. The electrode was characterized using FE-SEM and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS), which confirmed the Ag NPs coating (35–184 nm diameter). The static and dynamic load analyses were suggested that PS made using R5000 annealed at 150 °C was capable of sensing 0.3–500 N force. The voltage generated (400 mV) upon applying load on PS with a fingertip (~3 N) can charge a 1 μF capacitor in 0.8 s and also upon 10 × amplification a 4 V light emitting diode turned on to glow. Overall, the PS made with β-crystalline R5000/150 and non-polar Ag NPs coated electrodes was found to be useful for force sensing and energy harvesting.
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